Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class received a major stamp of approval as the final 247Sports Composite rankings were released, confirming the Buckeyes as one of college football’s elite talent collectors in the cycle. Three Ohio State signees finished as composite five-stars, headlined by wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who checked in as the No. 14 overall prospect and the No. 2 receiver nationally. Linebacker Cincere Johnson followed closely at No. 16 overall as the top-ranked linebacker in the class, while cornerback Jay Timmons rounded out the group as the No. 24 overall prospect and No. 3 cornerback.
The high-end talent didn’t stop there. Four more Buckeyes landed inside the top 75 of the final composite rankings, with wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford ranking No. 44 overall, defensive end Khary Wilder at No. 51, offensive tackle Sam Greer at No. 52 and safety Blaine Bradford at No. 73. In total, Ohio State signed 28 players in the 2026 class, which finished fourth nationally in the composite team rankings behind only USC, Alabama and Oregon. When transfers are included, the Buckeyes jumped to second overall in 247Sports’ team rankings for total 2026 roster additions, trailing only LSU.
The final composite reflects input from 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, all of which released their closing rankings over the past week. In 247Sports’ own Top247, Henry and Johnson were Ohio State’s two five-stars, ranking No. 24 and No. 25 overall, respectively. Greer, Timmons, Guilford and Wilder also earned top-100 status in that evaluation, reinforcing the depth of the class beyond its headline names.
Rivals was particularly bullish on Ohio State’s haul, awarding five-star status to five Buckeye signees, tying Ohio State with Notre Dame for the most in the country. Timmons led the way in Rivals’ rankings as the No. 12 overall prospect and the No. 1 cornerback in the class. Guilford actually ranked higher than Henry at receiver in Rivals’ evaluation, coming in as the No. 17 overall prospect and No. 2 wideout, while Henry checked in at No. 31 overall. Wilder ranked No. 22 overall as one of the nation’s top edge rushers, and Johnson was rated the No. 1 linebacker in the class at No. 26 overall. LSU and Michigan were the only other programs with more than two five-stars in Rivals’ final rankings.
Beyond the five-stars, Ohio State placed several more prospects in Rivals’ final Rivals300, including Bradford, Greer, Jordan Thomas, Braxton Rembert, Damari Simeon, Legend Bey and Nick Lautar, underscoring the class’s balance across the roster. As a result, the Buckeyes finished sixth overall in Rivals’ industry team rankings for the 2026 cycle, trailing USC, Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia and Alabama.
Taken as a whole, Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class blends elite top-end talent with impressive depth, reinforcing Ryan Day’s ability to compete nationally on the trail and setting the Buckeyes up with another roster loaded for future championship contention.
